Bella Green heard this and stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around. Instead, she continued to listen to Francesca Willis.
"You always want to compete with Anna, but on what grounds? Anna was brought up by me, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, flower arrangement, and tea ceremonies, a source of pride that gets admiration wherever she goes. But what about you? All you've ever done is bring shame upon me. If it weren't for your father's insistence all these years, do you think I'd want to bring you back?"
This was the first time Bella had heard these words. She thought no matter what they said or did, it wouldn't hurt her. But she overestimated her resilience.
It turned out Francesca not only disliked her but had never even considered finding her when she got lost...
